Sunday, February 26, 2012

What sources do historians rely on to get their information on sexuality in ancient Greece?

I heard some people say that the ancient Greeks were into pedophilia. Where are the historians getting that information? Are they relying on stuff like Greek plays and philosophical texts... Greek literature along with some images on Greek pottery? Or are there additional sources of information besides those things?What sources do historians rely on to get their information on sexuality in ancient Greece?You name a number of the most important sources -- drama, philosophical dialogues, art. The main category that I can think of that you haven't mentioned are political speeches, where people can get quite mudslinging about their rivals' behavior. Of course, that isn't the best possible source of truth, any more than modern political speeches are, but they give a sense of what was and wasn't acceptable or even "thinkable."

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